How to track non-step fitness?

July 28, 2018 2:38 PM

What's the best way to track my fitness/exercise goals...when my chosen exercise does not involve steps?

I recently took up figure skating, and I adore it. I'm working out hard, sweating and smiling the whole time. But I'd really enjoy a way to empirically track my progress, as well as the number of sessions I do per week, and how long each session lasts. How does this work for something like skating, where I'm not doing up and down stepping like walking/jogging? I'm also interested in seeing how my heart rate changes over time.

Give me your tips and tricks, and suggest tools to assist me, please.

I've been using the Habit Tracker app for a while, but that can't help me beyond a yes/no of "Did I skate today?" And I'd like to have some information beyond that.

We are a Mac family, so of course I thought Apple Watch, but I don't know what it might actually do for me, and it's expensive. Maybe there's something smarter/better?

posted by BlahLaLa to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

If you're up for getting a wrist tracker, there are Fitbits that can do this - e.g. the Charge 2 tracks heart rate and the Fitbit site will graph your exercise times in terms of exertion (heart rate), distance traveled, etc. It tracks movement, and the site can identify different activities -- e.g. it automatically identifies elliptical machine sessions. I don't know if it has figure skating but it might.
posted by LobsterMitten at 2:44 PM on July 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Yeah, heart-rate is a good metric-- for cycling I use a Tickr heart-rate strap ($50) as one of my metrics- it works works very well and the battery lasts forever (months and months). Just put it on when you start exercising, then when you finish skating sync it with your phone and voila!
posted by Static Vagabond at 3:59 PM on July 28, 2018 [2 favorites]

Just a bit of shopping advice. I bought a Garmin Vivoactive HR at REI after giving up on my first tracker (which was a Fitbit...see this question). REI was emphatic that they wanted me to be pleased and would exchange for a different tracker if I wasn't satisfied, but I was. I only mention this because your sport is not the average one folks engage in. But in addition to whatever other replies you get here you may want to stop by an REI store, if you have one in your area. Disclaimers: I am not associated with REI, I am not an athlete at all and I use Android (but Garmin seems to support Apple).
posted by forthright at 6:18 PM on July 28, 2018

Best answer: I looooove my apple watch just for the heart-rate exercise monitor. It works really well, and it’s seamless with the other apple products.
posted by gryphonlover at 8:41 PM on July 28, 2018